Welcome

TO THE MANOR HOUSE GARDENS
OF BUNNY WILLIAMS

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A Note from Bunny

In 1985, after looking for a house in the northwest corner of Connecticut, we turned into a gravel driveway lined with tall ancient Locust trees, a huge Kaltapa, and great Sugar Maples, and I fell in love with a 19 century white Federal house set on a slight knoll. I was desperate to find a house, not only to live in but to start a garden. The property and trees were very neglected, and there were no existing gardens, but I only saw this as an empty canvas.

The gardens began with two 40-foot perennial borders on each end of a bright, sunny, green lawn. This was the start of the education of an uneducated gardener (me) and the awakening of a passion for gardening and design that resulted in the development of the 12 acres and the creation of various gardens over many years. We welcome you to the garden on this site and hope to share ideas that you can incorporate in your own garden.

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The Garden Map

THE GARDENS

The gardens unfold like a series of outdoor rooms — each with its own personality, plantings, and way of changing with the seasons.

Buildings & Grounds

In addition to the main house, buildings like the pool house, studio, and conservatory each find their own way of connecting the indoors to the garden beyond.

Container Planting

Containers are used like punctuation throughout the property — placed along walkways and atop stone walls to draw the eye, add a sense of rhythm, and bring dimension and contrast to every path.

Photo by: Annie Schlechter

Flower Arranging

Few things make Bunny happier than arranging flowers. She likes them loose and unforced — as if she’d just come in from the garden, clippers in hand, and set a handful of stems into a vase without overthinking it. Smaller arrangements brighten the kitchen and dining room tables and add life to corners around the house, with two taller arrangements reserved for the entrance and the barn, where the ceilings soar.

Photo by: Annie Schlechter

With Care

The People Behind the Garden

This garden, and everything it has become over the years, is the work of an extraordinary group of dedicated gardeners. Every corner of the property thrives under the watchful care of Robert Reimer, while his wife, Tricia van Oers, brings her own magic to the vegetable and cutting garden —cultivating out the delicious produce and beautiful blooms that find their way into the house.

Photo by: Annie Schlechter

Robert Reimer Head Gardener
Photo by: Annie Schlechter

Tricia van Oers Master Gardner
Photo by: Annie Schlechter

Jennifer Majette House Manager